


“If you want, we could go together?”

by markonasurface (idwir)



Series: 50 Quote Prompts [16]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Cancer, F/M, I Was Sick When I Wrote This, Unplanned Pregnancy, so the writing is worse than usual, the pregnant cancer patient storyline from Grey's Anatomy, there's a part ii in progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 12:22:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15841215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idwir/pseuds/markonasurface
Summary: Allison finds out she has cancer. She’s also pregnant with Kevin’s baby.





	“If you want, we could go together?”

Allison felt a bit like her world was spinning out of control. She should have figured out something was wrong when her doctor left the room to grab another doctor and that doctor called in one more doctor. Now he was talking about terminating her pregnancy and she dragged her stare from the wall to look at him.

“No, I can’t -”

“Honey,” the second doctor said, looking like she was going to cry. “You’ll die without the treatments.”

“And I’ll die with the treatments. You just said so,” Allison clenched her jaw and refused to cry. Not when they were all looking at her with such pity in their eyes.

Doctor Number Three sighed. “But you’ll get a few months more with the treatment.”

“No, I’m having this baby.”

“It’ll be an orphan.”

Allison flinched at the statement. Being with the Foxes had given her a lot of things, one of them being an intense despisement of the foster care system. It would be worse than letting the baby’s father know about her situation.

“You said yourself that the father wouldn’t be involved.”

“Well,” Allison said. “Things change. He will be and when I die my baby will not be a fucking orphan.”

* * *

 

 

* * *

 

Allison sat in her car, both hands on the steering wheel, trying to breathe through clenched teeth. Her car was stuffed full of her things, Dan’s things, and Renee’s things. At the moment she was really wishing she had let them drive down to South Carolina with her.

Her vision blurred and she realized she was crying. She squeezed the steering wheel until her fingers ached more than the lack of oxygen to her lungs. Her mascara dripped onto her white blouse and her lipstick was smeared on her shoulder.

She allowed herself to sob uncontrollably. It wasn’t fair. The odds of her getting a cancer mostly seen in adults above the age of 50 were slim and yet, she had just received a death sentence. She allowed herself the moment, then she forced herself to try to pull it together.

She took deep, painful breaths until she was hiccuping, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t stop shaking. She dumped the contents of her purse into her lap and grabbed her phone. It took three tries to get it unlocked and two to select Abby from her contacts.

The line rang and rang then went to voicemail. Allison stifled a sob in her palm and tried again.

Abby answered on the fifth ring. “Hello,” she said sweetly and Allison lost control again. “Allison? What’s wrong, sweetie? You gotta talk to me. Take deep breaths.”

Allison struggled again to regain control over herself. When her breathing wasn’t quite so harsh Abby said, “Good. Now tell me where you are.”

“Hospital,” Allison’s voice cracked.

“Are you hurt?”

“No.” She paused, then cried, “Yes? I don’t know. Can you come get me?”

Abby’s voice was calm. “Of course. Are you in Columbia?”

“Mhm.”

“What about your car?” Abby asked. “Should I bring someone to drive it back?”

“I guess.”

“Okay, Allison. I’ll be there as soon as possible. Sit tight and remember to breathe.”

* * *

 

Abby brought Wymack with her and only then did Allison remember they’d want an explanation and why she couldn’t give them one just yet. Wymack put his hands on her shoulders and tried to catch her eye but she couldn’t look at him. He settled for asking, “Are you hurt?”

Allison gave a shrug, handed over her keys and got into Abby’s car.

She was exhausted and fell asleep. Abby gently prodded her awake and guided her into her house with an arm around her waist.

“I need you to tell me what’s going on,” Abby said, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders and sitting next to her on the couch. “Why were you at the hospital?”

Allison opened her mouth but no words came out. Before she could figure out what to tell Abby, Wymack came through the front door. He found them and took a seat on the arm of the couch behind Abby.

He didn’t say anything.

She pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders and said, “I have cancer. It’s terminal.”

Abby took in a sharp breath and immediately pulled Allison into her arms. “No,” she whispered, rubbing her back.

“What do you need?” Wymack’s voice was husky.

“Are they sure?” Abby squeezed her tighter. “Maybe we should get another opinion?”

Allison felt numb and suddenly devoid of emotion. She pulled away from Abby. “No. It’s for sure.”

“What about treatment? They’re gonna at least try to fight it, right?”

“They - I -” Allison struggled to come up with an explanation. “I’m tired. I don’t really want to talk about it right now. Can I stay here for a few days?”

Abby wiped a tear from her own cheek and took a shaky breath. “Of course. Go upstairs.”

* * *

 

Allison stared at the text she had typed out and deleted it. She typed out a new one and deleted it, too.

Throwing her phone onto the floor, she sank deeper into her pillows. She had to tell Kevin. Sooner rather than later. Abby wanted to call her doctor and figure out why they didn’t plan on doing anything.

“There’s no hope” just wasn’t a good enough answer.

She rolled over and reached her hand out as far as she could, willing her fingers to reach her phone. When that didn’t work, she slid off the bed and crawled over to grab it.

Kevin wasn’t doing amazing at the moment according to Dan and Renee’s texts. For reasons beyond Allison’s wildest imagination, Riko’s death was taking its toll on him. They said he was quieter than usual and was bouncing between zero feedback and harsh, scathing reviews. He’d already made a freshman cry.

Also according to Renee though, he seemed to be handling Riko’s death better than Jean. That had to be something.

_We need to talk._

She pressed send before she could delete yet another text and held her breath. The team would be having their lunch break now.

It took Kevin only a minute to respond.  _What would we have to talk about?_

Followed by  _Maybe if you came to practice we could be talking right now._

Allison glared at the screen. His response was so him.

_I’ll pick you up from Fox Tower after practice_

_You’re sick._

_I’ll text you when I get there_

_I don’t want to catch your flu._

_See you after practice_

_I’m not coming._

_Then I’ll come upstairs and infect your whole fucking team.  
Asshole._

Kevin didn’t reply but when she texted him six hours later, he came downstairs. He walked over to her car idling by the curb.

When he didn’t get in, she rolled down the passenger side window. She could see why her friends thought Kevin hadn’t been sleeping. His face was drawn and there were dark circles under his eyes.

“Get in.”

“We can talk right here,” Kevin said, leaning down to peer in.

“Why are you so difficult?” Allison huffed.

Kevin frowned. “Me? I’m the difficult one?”

“I’m pregnant. It’s yours.”

He opened his mouth but no words came out. If Allison wasn’t so fed up with him and ready to vomit she might have smirked.

She took a deep breath in through her nose. “I’m not fucking with you.”

“But - how?”

Allison gagged and pushed her door open. When she sat up again, she half expected Kevin to be gone.

She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and stared at him. He was usually so easy to read but now she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“Do you really need me to explain to you where babies come from?” she asked wryly. “Or do you need me to remind you that we had sex a couple months ago?”

"Fuck you.”

“You did and that’s how I became pregnant with your baby.”

Kevin opened the door and sat. He was quiet and Allison waited to hear what stupid thing he would say next.

She raised her eyebrows when what he said turned out to be not so stupid. He shifted to face her and asked, “What do you want to do?”

It stunned her speechless.

“What do you need me to do?”

She studied his face to find the asshole she had expected. She realized he was sincere and that she wasn’t imagining things. He didn’t look happy but he didn’t look unhappy, just nervous.

They both turned when the door to Fox Tower opened. Kevin faced back toward Allison immediately and closed the car door. “Drive,” he said.

“Who’s that?” Allison asked as she closed her door and Kevin sank low in his seat.

“Freshman Neil wanted to recruit,” he informed her a little bitterly. “She’s not worth the time. She’s not even half as good as the boy I wanted. We should’ve found another striker.”

Allison snorted. There was the asshole.

“Where am I driving?” Allison asked.

“Hungry?”

“No,” Allison said. She didn’t tell him it was one of her symptoms.

Kevin nodded absently. “Me, neither.”

Allison drove them around the school campus too many times to count. When she finished her next loop, she broke the silence and said, “I need you to be there.”

He stopped looking out the window to look at her.

“For the baby,” Allison emphasized. “No matter what. Even if we hate each other and fight, love it and be its father.”

Kevin stayed quiet for so long Allison finally glanced over at him. She could see him thinking. His mouth was set in a hard line and she saw him look down at his left hand. They passed a street light and the white lines seemed to reflect the light back.

“I’ll try.”

She wanted to tell him he couldn’t just try; he had to just do it. She bit her tongue, refusing to think about why he couldn’t tell her “I will.”

“Who else knows?” he asked.

“Just you.” Allison swallowed. “I’m going to have to tell Abby and, um, Coach.”

She heard Kevin’s breath hitch. “When?”

“By tomorrow,” she said, keeping her eyes on the road. “They know I don’t really have the flu and I can’t exactly play so my contract is void.”

“But you’ll still be going to school?”

Allison’s heart skipped a beat.

“Allison?”

“No.” She cleared her throat. “I’m just going to focus on having this baby.”

“You only have a year left.”

They both fell silent again.

“If you want, we could go together?” Kevin said, uncharacteristically uncertain.

“What?”

“To tell Coach.”

Allison tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “You sure?”

“He’s my father.”

“Oh, right.” She hadn’t forgotten, but she had forgotten in regards to her situation.

“Do you want to go now?”

* * *

 

Wymack opened the door and looked confused when he saw both Kevin and Allison. Allison’s eyes were rimmed red and it looked like Kevin had been running his hands through his hair.

“Kevin, I forgot my phone in the car. Could you get it for me?”

“Do you really need your phone right now?”

“Yes.”

He shot her a look but headed back down the hall.

“I haven’t told anyone I have cancer, yet,” Allison told Wymack, voice low.

He glanced at Kevin, trying to figure it out, but nodded an okay.

“Kevin!” Allison called down the hall. “Found it!”

He rolled his eyes and turned back to walk towards them.

“Can we come in?” Allison asked.

Wymack cocked an eyebrow, looking between the two of them but opened his door wider to let them past. Kevin and Allison sat on the couch, a good amount of space between them and waited for Wymack.

He placed three glasses on the coffee table and started to pour whisky. Neither Allison nor Kevin stopped him from filling all three glasses.

Wymack lowered himself into his armchair with a groan. “You two are the last Foxes I expected to show up on my doorstep together.”

Kevin took his glass then and took a big gulp, scrunching his nose up as the alcohol burned his throat.

“Will one of you please tell me what the hell is going on?” he demanded. “You’re making me nervous.”

They looked at each other. Allison widened her eyes at Kevin and he gave a shake of his head.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Wymack sighed. “Spit it out.”

“She’s pregnant,” Kevin said quietly, begrudgingly.

His response was out before he could think about it. “So why the fuck are you he -” He cut himself off. He muttered under his breath to himself then asked, “You’re not serious?”

Kevin stared at his father blankly.

“This isn’t a joke? This isn’t a joke,” Wymack sighed again. He drained his cup then filled it again to nearly overflowing. He pointed to Allison. “You are pregnant with his -” he pointed to Kevin. “- his - my son’s baby? And this isn’t a joke?”

Allison crossed her arms over her chest and sat back while Kevin clenched his jaw.

He stood up. “Why would I joke about this? It’s not funny. By the end of the year or first thing next year you’re going to be a grandfather. What’s funny about that?”

“Hey,” Wymack said. “It’s not. Under different circumstances -” He cut a look at Allison. “I thought you two hated each other?”

“We do,” Allison said, unamused.

“But you somehow managed to put that aside long enough to make a baby?”

Allison shrugged. “Who said we put it aside?”

“And you guys plan to - what? Raise a baby together until Allison -”

“We’ll figure it out,” Allison said forcefully. “We just thought we should let you know since it’ll be your grandchild.”

Wymack took the glass he poured for Allison and drank. “What about school?” He took another large sip. “Both of you.”

Allison let Kevin answer because Wymack already knew it didn’t matter. She’d be lucky to make it through fall semester.

“What about it?” Kevin asked. “I’ll finish my two years here and help Allison raise the kid.”

“You think you can handle Exy, school and raising a kid full time?”

“Allison and I aren’t moving in together,” Kevin said. “I’ll help as much as possible but I’m not living with her.”

“That’s -”

Allison cut Wymack off before he could let slip her other news. “I’m tired and I’ve still gotta talk to Abby. Sorry about my contract, Coach.”

She stood and said, “Kevin?”

“Where are you going?”

“Night practice.”

Wymack looked torn between continuing the conversation about the baby and going along with the subject change. Exy won out. “You taking Jack?”

Kevin shook his head. “Not tonight. I need to be ... alone.”

“At least take Neil and Andrew,” Wymack said, standing up. He searched Kevin’s face. Whatever he saw there didn’t make him look any happier but he pulled Kevin to him.

The hug was just as awkward as Allison always imagined it would be. When he released Kevin, he looked a little more sad but a little less tense. Then Wymack hugged Allison and she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

“Let me know if you guys need anything,” Wymack said.

* * *

 

“The surgery should give me at least until the end of the year,” Allison said. She wasn’t sure where these tears kept coming from. When she brought it up with Abby, Abby said it could be the pregnancy hormones. Also, the fact that she has cancer.

“That’s not good enough,” Dan wept. “You still have graduation and you’re good enough to go pro and - and -”

Her face was scrunched up and she gave up trying to speak over her tears.

“Kevin would shoot himself if he heard you say any of us are good enough to go pro.” Allison hugged Dan and Renee hugged Allison.

Renee had yet to shed a tear. “Should you get another doctor’s opinion?”

“No, it wouldn’t do any good.”

Matt pulled his collar over half his face to wipe his nose. “You can’t go.”

Allison grabbed his hand. “We’re Foxes.” That was all it took for Renee’s chin wobble to give way to a sob and they all started crying again.

* * *

 

Wymack couldn’t seem to meet Kevin’s eyes. He looked at every Fox but Kevin. “Allison has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.”

A choked sound came from Kevin and Neil and Andrew looked at him. Kevin didn’t care for Allison and only worried about her health in relation to their lineup. This year they weren’t short on subs so it shouldn’t have made him blink.

“She’s trying to be strong,” Wymack said, voice strained. “She’s very tired and didn’t think she would be able to handle telling you herself. She’s scheduled for surgery on Saturday. They’re hoping the surgery will give her a few more months -”

“Can we go see her?” Nicky asked, looking owlish.

“Not all together, ” Dan said. eyes shining with unshed tears. She was squeezing Renee’s hand tight and Matt had his arm around her shoulders. “We don’t want to overwhelm her.”

“I think the more time she spends with you guys, the more good it’ll do her.” Wymack paused. “I know this sucks. Death is never easy. Abby has invited her to stay at her house for as long as she wants so we should make the most of the time she has left. If any of you need to or want to talk, go see Betsy at Reddin.

“This isn’t the way any of us would have liked to start the season -”

“It fucking sucks,” Matt said fiercely.

Wymack nodded. “It does but like I said, make the most of the time you have with her but remember that life doesn’t stop. We have a commitment to the university to uphold so lets train hard.”

“I don’t want anyone talking to the press about Allison, you got me?” Wymack told them all but looked at the freshmen. “Go get changed out.”

Kevin clenched and unclenched his jaw. Ignoring the looks the others gave him, he stayed where he was while the others filed into either changing room.

When it was just the two of them, Wymack said quietly, “Kevin.”

He sprang to his feet suddenly, looking angry. “What the fuck is she doing?” he demanded.

“Kevin -”

“She should have told me!” he yelled. “What if she doesn’t make it? How long did they give her without the surgery?”

“Keep your voice down,” Wymack hissed. “She’s doing whatever she can to make sure she has the baby.”

Kevin took a step back, almost falling back into his seat. “Why? This - this is such a mess.” He ran his hands through his hair and tried to prioritize his thoughts. “Why would she tell me about it if she might not even be able to have it? If she doesn’t die on Saturday, who’s to say she’ll be able to make it to her due date? And after that?”

He paled visibly and gulped. “She’s been planning from the beginning to die and leave me a fucking baby? How the hell am I supposed to -”

“Kevin,” Wymack said and came to sit beside him. “Take a breath alright? Do you need a drink?”

“I need -” he faltered. “I need to go talk to her.”

“What?”

Kevin stood up. “Can I borrow your car?”

“You’re not going to see her like this,” Wymack said and it wasn’t a suggestion. “I’ll take you back to the dorms or to go see Betsy but Allison doesn’t need you stressing her out.”

Kevin took a deep breath.

“Do you want to go see Betsy?” Wymack asked.

“No.” Kevin said and left to change out.

* * *

 

After practice Kevin showered and dressed as fast as he could. He waited for Matt with folded arms, leaning against Matt’s locker.

Matt raised a brow at him and Kevin moved aside. He opened his locker and dug out his clothes then asked, “Can I help you?”

“Are you guys going to see Allison now?” Kevin’s mouth was turned down into a frown.

“Why?”

“I’m coming with you,” Kevin said and went to wait in the truck.

* * *

 

Kevin hopped out of the bed of the truck before it even stopped moving. He hurried up the walkway to the porch and opened Abby’s door without knocking.

“Dan?” Allison’s voice called.

He made his way to the living room where Allison had paused the movie she was watching. When she saw Kevin, she sat up and braced herself.

“What the hell, Allison?” Kevin demanded. “You have cancer and you didn’t think you should tell me?”

“I - it’s not your business,” Allison said, voice hard.

“Not my business?” Kevin huffed out a humorless laugh. “You’re having my baby!”

Allison glared. “It’s not yours, yet. It’s in my body, not yours. When it’s born it’s mine and maybe I’ll let you hold him.”

Kevin stepped closer and Allison stood. “You have cancer. You were never planning to be its mother. Why are you - fuck!”

“Hey!” Abby came down the stairs. “What are you two doing? Allison, you need to relax.”

“I’m fine,” she snapped and Kevin continued like she hadn’t even spoken.

“Why are you trying to have the baby if you’re not going to be around to mother it? Are you even sure you’ll live long enough to have it?”

Allison’s bottom lip quivered but she kept glaring at Kevin. “No.”

“Oh my, god!” Kevin yelled. “What are you doing to me?”

“Kevin,” Abby gasped.

“To you?” Allison mocked. “I am the one who has cancer, Kevin! I am the one who is pregnant! I am the one who is giving up a few extra months of life so that my child has a chance of being born healthy!”

“Oh, great,” Kevin tried to sneer but his voice cracked and he had to blink the blurriness from his vision. “You’re going to leave the child motherless.”

Allison swiped angrily at the tears rolling down her cheeks. “But it’ll be alive and it won’t be an orphan.”

Kevin shook his head. “Great.” He stepped back. “You should’ve told me.” He turned around and only hesitated for a nanosecond when he saw Matt, Renee and Dan. Then he pushed past them and down the hall.

They stared after him even after they heard the front door slam. Allison muffled a sob and they all turned to her.

Dan hurried over as Allison sank back onto the couch. She pulled Allison into her arms, whispering soothingly.

“I’m just tired,” Allison said. She coughed trying to catch her breath. “I don’t know why I’m crying.”

It was a lie but nobody was going to call her out on it. She was pregnant and had cancer.

“It’s because Kevin sucks,” Matt said, resting his chin on Dan’s shoulder.

Allison spluttered out a laugh but started crying again. “It all just - all just sucks, you know?”

Renee squeezed her hand. “You’re handling it all much better than any of us ever could.”

“I’m not,” Allison cried. “Of all people - Kevin Day? What was I thinking? I shouldn’t have ever told him.”

“He probably would’ve figured it out eventually,” Dan said.

Matt snorted. “Kevin and his one track mind? I seriously doubt it.”

“I just want to take it back.”

They were all quiet for a moment and Allison closed her eyes. Then Dan said, “I know Kevin eats, sleeps, and breathes Exy but it could’ve been someone we don’t know.”

Allison and Matt both opened their mouths to argue.

“She’s right,” Renee said quietly. “He has Coach. Coach has been the best father any of us have known.”

“He won’t let Kevin fuck the kid up,” Dan said.

“And you guys,” Allison said almost hopefully. “You’ll still be around to help him in the beginning, right?”

They all seemed to breathe out at the same time. “Of course,” they chorused.

“Okay. I feel - better-ish.”

Abby came back from the kitchen with a plate of sandwiches. She stood in front of them all with her hands on her hips and her mouth twisted. She sighed. “Kevin shouldn’t have yelled at you but ... he wouldn’t have reacted that way if he didn’t care. Your baby is going to be fine, Allison. It already has two parents who want it to make it.”

* * *

 

When Kevin came back to Fox Tower, Nicky paused the video game and they all stared at him. He was sweaty, his hair pushed haphazardly off of his forehead and his eyes were red. He sniffled, pretended he didn’t see them and went straight back to the bedroom.

“Do you think Kevin and Allison have been secretly seeing each other or do you think Kevin realized he’s in love with her a little too late?” Nicky stage whispered.

“Neither.” Aaron unpaused the video game and promptly proceeded to kill Nicky’s avatar.

“Not fair!” Nicky shouted, lightly pushing Aaron’s shoulder. “But seriously. Did you see how weird he was acting when Wymack told everyone Allison has cancer? Then the yelling. And he didn’t criticize anyone at practice - not a single insult.”

Neil offered a hand to Andrew who ignored it in favor of slipping off the desk and into his space. Neil leaned into him but Andrew gestured for him to lead the way to the bedroom.

Nicky and Aaron followed them.

The bedroom door was open but the bathroom door was closed. Still, they could hear Kevin retching. Andrew opened the door and waited. Kevin didn’t say anything.

“You have to actually eat something in order to be able to puke,” Andrew said, dully.

Kevin only gagged in response.

Andrew pushed himself up onto the counter and Neil stepped in. Aaron and Nicky crowded the doorway.

They waited but Kevin couldn’t seem to stop dry heaving over the toilet. Aaron left and returned. He crouched down near Kevin and forced a glass of water into his hand.

“Drink.”

He did as he was told and drained the glass, only for it to come back up. Aaron looked annoyed.

“Does your head hurt?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Are you tired?”

Nicky sighed. “What good is that going to do? He hasn’t slept a night through in  like a month. We know he’s tired.”

“Shut up,” Aaron commanded. He grabbed Kevin’s wrist, feeling for his pulse. After thirty seconds he reached up to feel Kevin’s face.

Aaron went over to turn the shower on. “Get in. Don’t change the temperature. I’ll be back in ten minutes to check on you.”

They all left the bathroom. Aaron left the others in the bedroom.

Ten minutes later, Aaron handed Kevin a towel and boxers and Nicky went to answer the knock at the door. They could hear him clearly.

“Did Aaron call you?”

“Yes,” Abby answered. “Are they in the bedroom?”

Kevin was lying on Neil’s bed, the only one he didn’t have to climb a ladder to get into. Aaron pulled a sheet up over him before turning to Abby.

“I turned the temperature down.”

“Good,” Abby said. “Did the shower help?”

“I think so.”

Abby took Aaron’s place by the bed and went to work taking Kevin’s temperature and heart rate. “He’s still pale,” she murmured. “And sweaty but his temperature isn’t too bad.”

“But he’s been pale for, like, the last month,” Nicky said.

“Kevin, have you been drinking water?” Abby asked.

“Not enough,” Aaron said. “He needs to take the week off.”

“No.” They all looked at Kevin.

Aaron moved so Kevin could see him. “You have heat exhaustion. If you didn’t get home when you did it could’ve turned into heat stroke.”

“I’m fine.”

“Do whatever the fuck you want,” Aaron said. “I don’t care.”

Kevin said, “Great.”

“Doctor’s orders,” Abby said. She looked around at the others. “Boys, could you give us a minute?”

When the others had left the room Abby sat on the edge of the bed. She stroked Kevin’s hair back and said, “I want you to start seeing Betsy.”

“I’m fine,” Kevin repeated.

“You’re not and that’s okay,” Abby said. “There’s been a lot to take in and as much as I love all of my Foxes, your group isn’t so good at the moral-emotional-psychological support thing.

“You’ve been on the edge for awhile dealing with your childhood and then Riko’s death -” Abby had finally stopped calling it a suicide when every time the word was mentioned Kevin went off about how it wasn’t one. “And now Allison’s pregnant and that’s stressful enough without the cancer.”

Tears slid from Kevin’s eyes and dripped onto the pillow. “It’s been almost two weeks and she didn’t even tell me herself. She should’ve told me she has cancer when she told me she was pregnant. It’s not fair.”

“I know,” Abby said, brushing her knuckles across his cheek. “But she needs you, Kevin. Even if you think she’s being unreasonable, she has her reasons, right? She is going to die. That’s scary. She wants this baby but she’s not going to get to be its mother. She’s only 21. She’ll be dead before 23 and she just needs to know you’re going to be there for this child no matter what.”

“I told her I’d try.”

“Show her by getting better, get help from Betsy. Be there for Allison. Talk to Allison, don’t just fight with her. Rest, okay?” Abby leaned down and pressed a kiss to Kevin’s forehead. “And drink lots of water.”

* * *

 

“How’s the queen?” Allison asked drily.

“Heat exhaustion,” Abby answered. “He’s resting.”

Dan set her chopsticks down. “Has he been like this all month?” she asked.

“Like?”

“Distracted, sickly looking, mean ...”

Matt snorted and choked on his food. He thumped his chest with a fist and said, “Kevin’s been mean his whole life.”

Abby took the plate Renee was offering and sighed. She scooped rice onto her plate and then noodles. “Lay off him a bit.”

“Tell him not to make my freshmen cry the first day of practice,” Dan said.

“I don’t think you guys realize that as unconventional as it was, Riko was Kevin’s best friend,” Abby said. “And he committed suicide.”

“Wasn’t suicide,” they chorused.

Allison rested her chin in her hand. “They were not best friends.”

“Maybe brothers,” Matt mused. “Like, some weird warped version of brothers.”

Dan laughed and Allison rolled her eyes.

“Kevin should be happy,” Allison said, nibbling on a single grain of rice. “They weren’t anything. They were two people who lived together. All Riko did was hurt him and almost succeeded in taking away the one thing Kevin loves. He should be happy he doesn’t have to look over his shoulder anymore.”

“Riko hurt him, yes,” Renee said. “But after his mom died, he was the constant in Kevin’s life.”

“Riko was so unhinged, constant isn’t the word I’d use to describe him,” Matt said.

Dan and Allison nodded in agreement. Dan said, “You didn’t love your abuser. That’s all Riko was.”

“I don’t think so,” Renee disagreed but left it at that.

“Just try to understand that Riko was someone - an awful someone - but still someone to Kevin and now he’s dead and the rest of the team is happy and everyone is telling him how he feels is invalid or stupid and he shouldn’t feel the way he does.”

“Fine, Abby,” Dan said. “If he wants to mope or cry over Riko’s death at practice on Monday, we won’t say anything.”

Abby sighed. “He won’t be at practice next week. Doctor’s orders.”

They put on a movie to avoid the awkward silence of the meal. Allison pushed her food around on her plate until her phone vibrated.

_Can I go with you tomorrow?_

Allison stared at her phone for a good minute.

_I thought ur on bed rest_

_No._

Well, then. Allison was still annoyed at him for yelling at her, for making himself sick and for being upset about Riko. She kind of wanted to slap some sense into him.

_You dont need to come. The surgery will be at least 5 hrs and dan matt and renee r coming._

_I want to._

She frowned.

_U want to sit in a waiting room for 5 hrs?_

_I want to be there._

Allison sighed, then tapped out her response.

_Fine. Ill pick u up at 5._


End file.
